Airport Villa, Delaware
Encyclopedia
Airport Villa was a housing project that was once part of New Castle Air Force Base (now New Castle County Airport), in New Castle County, Delaware
. It was built to house military personnel during the Korean War
(1950–1953). In 1956, New Castle County purchased it from the U.S. Air Force and reopened it for civilian housing. Rentals of the houses were managed by the Harris-Hanby Real Estate Agency, New Castle, Delaware
.
close to the houses.
Airport Villa was demolished about 1982. The area that was formerly Airport Villa, however, can be located; 290 Airport Rd. is on the western boundary, and Reads Way is on the eastern. Paved asphalt
roads are still visible, though the houses are gone. The New Castle County Government office park is now in the area, on Reads Way.
s and had roofs of tar
and gravel. Each home had a carport, patio, substantial sized yard and high windows on the front. The houses were in the style of a duplex
, connected at the back, with the fronts of each facing onto different streets.
Inside, the homes were very spacious, each containing two or three bedrooms. The kitchens had a bar-counter that was connected to the dining area. The floors were tiled-over concrete slabs.
Airport Villa's street names were alphabetical, e.g. A, B, C. The East Villa had 24 houses and four streets, A, B, C & D, running east and west, with long connection roads running north and south. The West Villa was much larger, with 76 houses and had street names E, F, G & H.
Students at Airport Villa attended Manor Park Elementary School, George Read Jr. High, and William Penn High School. Later on Carrie downey was the elementary school. Some of the neighboring projects were Chelsea Estates, Wilmington Manor, and Penn Acres.
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
. It was built to house military personnel during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
(1950–1953). In 1956, New Castle County purchased it from the U.S. Air Force and reopened it for civilian housing. Rentals of the houses were managed by the Harris-Hanby Real Estate Agency, New Castle, Delaware
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
.
History
There were two parts to Airport Villa, one on either side of Airport Road. The two villas contained 100 houses. Total population during the mid 1960s was about 500 people on the entire 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) project; there were several yellow barracksBarracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
close to the houses.
Airport Villa was demolished about 1982. The area that was formerly Airport Villa, however, can be located; 290 Airport Rd. is on the western boundary, and Reads Way is on the eastern. Paved asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
roads are still visible, though the houses are gone. The New Castle County Government office park is now in the area, on Reads Way.
Housing at Airport Villa
The houses at Airport Villa were constructed of cinder blockCinder block
In the United States, a concrete masonry unit – also called concrete block, cement block, and foundation block – is a large rectangular brick used in construction. Concrete blocks are made from cast concrete, i.e. Portland cement and aggregate, usually sand and fine gravel for high-density blocks...
s and had roofs of tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
and gravel. Each home had a carport, patio, substantial sized yard and high windows on the front. The houses were in the style of a duplex
Duplex (building)
The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...
, connected at the back, with the fronts of each facing onto different streets.
Inside, the homes were very spacious, each containing two or three bedrooms. The kitchens had a bar-counter that was connected to the dining area. The floors were tiled-over concrete slabs.
Airport Villa's street names were alphabetical, e.g. A, B, C. The East Villa had 24 houses and four streets, A, B, C & D, running east and west, with long connection roads running north and south. The West Villa was much larger, with 76 houses and had street names E, F, G & H.
Students at Airport Villa attended Manor Park Elementary School, George Read Jr. High, and William Penn High School. Later on Carrie downey was the elementary school. Some of the neighboring projects were Chelsea Estates, Wilmington Manor, and Penn Acres.